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Antonio “Tony” Quintanilla, who is seeking the County Commissioners Court Precinct 3 seat, said he will fight a recent appeals court decision to have his name removed from the March 1 Democratic primary ballot.

Quintanilla, an educator and owner of an environmental company, has filed an appeal with the Texas Supreme Court to overturn the Eighth Court of Appeals' decision that he did not meet requirements to run for office in the precinct. He wants to be declared eligible to run for the seat and have his name placed back on the ballot, Quintanilla said in a news release Friday.

“I have followed through on my commitment to fight this issue up to the highest authority,” he said. “My efforts are catalyzed by the belief that El Paso County Precinct 3 is desirous of change and that the hard working residents of El Paso County Precinct 3 deserve better than what they have been getting with (County Commissioner) Vincent Perez.”

Perez, who is seeking re-election, filed a petition in court on Dec. 29 arguing that Quintanilla was not a registered voter in the precinct for at least six months prior to the filing deadline as required by the Texas Election Code. Perez also argued that El Paso Democratic Party officials failed to remove Quintanilla’s name from the ballot after he provided documentation he alleges showed Quintanilla's ineligibility.

On Jan. 11, the Eighth Court of Appeals ruled in Perez's favor and ordered the El Paso County Democratic party chairman to remove Quintanilla’s name from the March 1 ballot.

Democratic Party officials said they would follow the court’s order.

El Paso County Elections Administrator Lisa Wise said on Friday that Quintanilla’s name was removed from the ballot as requested by Democratic Party officials after the ruling.

Her department started sending ballots by mail Jan. 15 that do not include Quintanilla’s name, Wise said.

“By law, we have to send them out 45 days prior to the election for military and overseas. We are now sending ballots to the people who requested the ballots by mail,” she said.

Wise said that if the Texas Supreme Court rules in favor of Quintanilla, her department would follow the court’s direction on how to handle the situation. But for now, nothing has changed and her department will continue to mail out the ballots, she said.

In his news release, Quintanilla said he has been endorsed by El Paso County Sheriff’s Officers Association, Paso del Norte Tejano Democrats and the Northeast Democratic Party.